Misunderstood Roses
by grey.fog
Summary: Neville likes to send Harry flowers, all of them meaning something. But one day he sends yellow roses and it seems that flowers can have different meanings to different people. A misunderstanding takes place. Written for Slash the Rainbow. Neville/Harry


Disclaimer: Harry Potter not mine ;_;

Challenge: Slash the Rainbow. My color was Yellow – meaning of which was Joy. So kicked the idea around and decided to write Neville/Harry, because yeah I could see Neville sending flowers/plants to show how he felt. But Harry's kind of dense, and someone kind of helps a misunderstanding along. This is a short piece, but still kind of fun to write. :) And I never knew there were so many _conflicting_ meanings of flowers, sooo moving on, enjoy the story and please review!

**Title: Misunderstood Roses**

"Delivery for Harry Potter!" the nasally voice made Harry look up, green eyes resting on the now familiar face of the deliveryman. Who did _not _look happy to be there.

"Another?" Harry asked, going for exasperated, but the wide grin on his face destroyed the lie.

"Yeah, yellow this time. Huh. I'd be worried if you ask me." The man said, placing the yellow roses on the mahogany desktop, perhaps more forcefully than what was needed. The dark cobalt of the vase in which they sat in making the sunny color _pop_.

Harry frowned, black brows drawling together.

"Worried?" he asked, glancing at the flowers and then back again as the man thrust a quill and parchment underneath him for him to sign that he'd received them.

"Well yeah, didn't you know? Yellow roses mean dying love." He said, as he took the paper back, blowing on the ink and rolling it up.

"Maybe whoever they are, they're trying to let you down easy," was his parting words as he wasted no time in leaving the office, a nasty smirk on his lips that Harry failed to see.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The deliveryman's words bothered Harry for most of the day, and what had once been a wonderful feeling upon first spying the roses, had now turned to one of uncertainty and dread.

Surely Neville would just tell him if he wanted to end things.. they'd been friends for so long, and then lovers. It would certainly be in the other man's nature to gently, what was that man's words? Oh yeah, let him down easy.

But Harry couldn't understand it.

Just last week Neville had sent him an arrangement that told Harry that the other man was hopeful and that he thought dearly of him. Of course it was all in the language of flowers, they'd not actually spoken the words yet.

Maybe Neville didn't _want _to say them.

Of course Harry hadn't volunteered to say it either.

He ran his hands through his hair, making the already messy mop, stick out at even more awkward angers. Harry was brave in many things, but when it came to making himself vulnerable, he was very much a cowardly lion.

He reached out a hand, and rubbed one of the yellow petals between his thumb and forefinger, enjoying the silk feeling of it. It was past time that he made a declaration. And then he would know.

Tonight then.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Neville couldn't put his finger on it, but something was wrong, and it certainly didn't help his own nerves.

They were sitting at dinner, a quiet affair as they had decided to dine in at Harry's rather than go out and have to contend with other people. Harry had spent most of it fiddling with his fork, or pushing his food around his plate with it.

Neville took another glance around the room, and noticed that something was missing. Ever since he'd first started sending Harry flowers, they'd made their way onto the mantle above the sink. There were no flowers, just an empty vase from last week's gift.

"I.. Harry did you get a delivery today?" he asked, and looked back to Harry.

Green eyes met brown, and Neville felt himself melt just a little bit, but the small frown that appeared on Harry's face caused the enamored feeling to turn to concern.

"Uhm.. yeah.. about that. Neville, there's something I want to say."

Oh Merlin. Did Harry not like the roses? Were flowers getting old? Maybe it was too feminine a thing to send? But then Harry had sent him flowers too.

Harry was staring at him expectantly. And with every passing moment, those green eyes he loved, yes _loved, _were becoming more and more guarded.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" he asked, his voice a little strangled.

Harry cleared his throat and answered, "I said.. I love you." His cheeks were pink, and his fingers were tight around the fork in his hand that laid upon the table.

Neville was shocked. And once again he sat there for a moment too long. Long enough for Harry to stand, speaking a mile a minute and taking a step away from the table.

"Merlin, that was a bad idea. I shouldn't have said anything. You're not ready, or maybe.. you sent those roses.. and I just, I had to tell you, even if yours is dying, or whatever the deliveryman said…." And to Neville's complete horror, he made his way to the mantle and grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"Harry! No!" Neville moved faster than he'd ever thought he had before, grabbing Harry about the waist and forcefully pulling him back. Harry's arms flailed, the powder flying everywhere.

"Neville!"

"Just stop," Neville said firmly, not loosening his hold even though Harry wasn't really struggling anymore. He took a deep breath. "Now. I'm sorry I was just.. I couldn't believe what you said.. and this isn't how I wanted to or where I wanted to profess it, but I love you too." It was awkward, but so important that he say the words.

Harry didn't say anything for the longest while, before he turned in Neville's arms and looked into his eyes and said in a small voice, "But you sent me yellow roses."

Neville frowned, "Yes. To show you the joy I feel when I'm with you." Then he remembered what Harry had said in his rather dramatic rant.

"What did the deliveryman say again?"

"Oh well.." Harry hedged, obviously trying to protect the man, but Neville's stubborn expression made him relent. "He said that they meant that you.. that what you felt was a dying love, and that you no longer.." he trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Ah," Neville let out a sigh, "Yes they do mean that, but they have several meanings. As do most other flowers. Perhaps, in the future, to avoid any other misunderstandings I'll just simply tell you instead."

He pulled Harry into him, and lowered his lips to the other's in a kiss that was unrushed and tender. When they pulled apart, Harry laid his cheek against the other's shoulder.

They stood there for some time, neither wanting to remove themselves from the warmth and companionship they felt with one another. Neville wondered what Harry was thinking, and found himself running through a mental list of actions to take to take the deliveryman to task.

The silence was broken by Harry eventually as he asked quietly,

"Can you say it again?"

Neville grinned and rubbed his hand down the length of Harry's spine to rest on the small of his back, "I love you."

"That.." Harry said pulling back a bit so that he could look into Neville's face with a smile, "fills me with a million yellow roses."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Well.. I don't think it was too bad. :( Very fluffy, maybe a bit rushed. For some reason as I was writing I couldn't get into a groove with it. Hopefully it came out okay.


End file.
